“The stigma is still there,” said Christie, whose in the final months of his second and last term in office. “Republicans, in particular, get caught in that vise between wanting to look tough on crime, but if I say this stuff, will that diminish my tough on crime image?”

“You still have politicians in New Jersey, particularly on the local level, that are shutting out treatment (centers) because they don’t think they have a problem in their town,” Christie said.